Love Nest
When Jennifer Mata-Tayamen and Mar Tayamen married four years ago, both were widowed for many years. They had six children between them and a large home in Elk Grove.
But East Sac kept calling. “My daughters attended St. Francis High School, so I was in East Sac frequently transporting them to and from school and to the homes of their friends,” Jennifer says. “The sense of community was awesome and quite different than Elk Grove.”
After house hunting for several months, the couple closed last year on an unusual home on 46th Street. Built in 1970, it was the newest house on a stately street. The design is modern compared to the Tudors and Spanish styles that surround it.
Over time, previous owners upgraded and added Craftsman details. They also liked a color that didn’t agree with the Tayamens. “The house had a lot of yellow, which we decided to change right away,” Jennifer says.
Born To Give
Laini Golden always wanted to help people.
As a high school student in San Antonio, she joined every service club she could find. Her youth group helped blind people shop for groceries. She played with kids at orphanages.
“I knew I wanted to help people in the community,” Golden says. “I’ve always had this desire to try to connect on whatever level.”
Golden has given back for decades. As a licensed clinical social worker in Sacramento, she’s done therapy with children in schools, hospitals and outpatient facilities. Now she works with adults to help them reconnect with their inner voice.
Comeback City
Mark Twain fans know the tale about his obituary getting published while he was still alive, followed by Twain’s protest that “reports of my death were greatly exaggerated.” Accurate or not, the quote applies to Downtown.
When I wrote my first column for Inside in August 2019, the central city was on a roll. Golden 1 Center was only a few years old and getting high marks. Hotels and new housing were coming online. There were plans for riverfront development.
Energy and momentum Downtown were palpable. Everything was looking up. The headline an editor put on my debut column summed up the mood: “It’s finally our moment, Sacramento.”
A few months later, it all ground to a halt. The pandemic locked down much of California. With state employees working remotely, Downtown was deserted. Restaurants and small businesses failed by the day.
Healthy Option
The last time Dr. Lou Vismara had an idea this big it turned into the UC Davis Mind Institute, a renowned research center for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
Vismara, 81 and retired from his cardiology practice, is at it again. He teamed with developer Angelo Tsakopoulos to plan a 2,800-acre project on Tsakopoulos’ property that spans parts of Folsom and two counties, Sacramento and El Dorado.
The development includes what Vismara and Tsakopoulos call a “Community for Health and Independence” that can be replicated elsewhere.
Designed for elder residents and people with disabilities, the plan counts the UC Davis Health Center and Sacramento State University as partners. Although it must survive governmental reviews before anything gets built, the new community is generating excitement and consternation.
No Excuse
The city’s Front Street Animal Shelter has a problem. Unwanted pets keep coming.
In three years, stray dogs and cats entering Front Street increased by 2,148—from 6,309 in 2022 to 8,457 in 2024.
More animals mean more killing. In 2022, Front Street euthanized 747. In 2024, the shelter killed 1,462—nearly double.
To address the statewide animal overpopulation crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom included $50 million in the 2020-21 state budget to help California animal shelters stop killing adoptable dogs and cats.
Four years later the killing continues.
